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June 2013

June 30, 2013

The best things in life are worth
waiting for and at the United Kingdom’s Banham
Zoo, female Amur Tigress Sveta made her keepers wait longer than expected before giving birth to twins on June 14.

Photo Credit: Banham Zoo

Keepers had expected Sveta
to give birth up to 6 days prior to the day the cubs arrived and had been
monitoring closed circuit TV cameras day and night for signs that she might be
ready to give birth.

When the cubs finally
arrived, keepers were able to watch the birth via the live camera link, giving Sveta complete privacy.

The twins are making excellent progress. An external
monitor allows zoo guests to view the cubs without any intrusion whatsoever to the
new family.

The newborn cubs are very important additions to the European captive breeding program for Amur
Tigers. Kuzma, the cubs' father, was born at Banham Zoo in 2008 and was recently ranked as one of the most
important males in the breeding program. His genes are poorly represented
within the captive population so breeding him was considered a high priority. His
mate, Sveta, arrived from Portugal's Lisbon Zoo in 2011 and this is their first
successful litter together.

Amur Tigers are listed as Endangered by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature. Recent information
indicates that there are less than 400 Amur Tigers left in the wilds of far eastern
Russia. Captive
breeding could be a critical factor for the survival of the world’s
largest cat.

Two
baby Snow Leopards born at Zoo
Boise have an important job in a national conservation program. The cubs, a male and a female, were born May 23
to parents Kabita and Tashi, and are the first Snow Leopards ever born at the
zoo.

Photo Credit: Monte Stiles

Like
their wild counterparts, the cubs are spending their first few weeks in a den
with their mother. As they grow and develop, they will emerge from the den to
explore their exhibit for short periods of time.

As
a first-time mother, Kabita is doing a fantastic job of caring for the cubs. Zoo
staff members have been giving Kabita as much privacy as possible to ensure
that she does not become stressed and continues to take excellent care of the
cubs.

The birth of these cubs is a significant achievement for Zoo Boise and for Snow Leopard conservation. Tashi and Kabita were paired as part of the Snow Leopard
Species Survival Plan (SSP). The SSP is one of the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums’ many conservation programs. The SSP's goal is to maintain a healthy and genetically diverse population and to
protect wild habitats for the species. Snow Leopards are Endangered in their Central Asian mountain habitat.

Voting will run until 8 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, June 30.
The results will then be tabulated and the new name will be announced on Tuesday,
July 2.

The cub and his mother, Rio, remain behind the scenes at the
zoo. You first met the cub on ZooBorns in
April, but as you can see from the photos, he is growing fast. The cub will make his public debut sometime
later this year.

Andean Bears, also called Spectacled Bears, are native to the Andes Mountains of
South America, where they are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature. Only
2,000-2,400 remain in the wild.

Two baby Oriental Small-clawed Otters born
in April at Switzerland's Zoo Basel are providing endless entertainment as they play with the
Rhinoceros family that shares their exhibit.

Photo Credit: Zoo Basel

The first time that one-year-old bull Rhinoceros
Jari came to the enclosure, the otters all ran along behind him and boldly
nipped his hind legs. Fortunately, Jari has very thick skin – and lucky for the
otters, Jari’s mother chose to chastise them by simply ignoring them and
walking off.

When the Otters aren’t pestering the
Rhinos, they are often followed around by
young wild Crows, who peck them from behind with their beaks. When the inter-species conflict subsides, the
adult Otters are teaching the two youngsters their Otter ABCs. The
first lesson: how to dive without drowning.

Zoo Basel’s Otter/Rhino enclosure is
specifically designed to meet the needs of these agile little rascals. Aside
from dens where they can produce their young, the exhibit is surrounded by a
shallow stream where the Otters search for food. Basking areas and the tree stump are also
popular, offering visitors a wonderful view of the animals.

Oriental Small-clawed Otters are one of the few
Otter species to live together in large extended families. They live in Asia
next to rivers and shallow waters, and feed primarily on smaller aquatic life, such as Snails and Mussels. Unlike other Otters, they do not hunt for fish in deep water, but
instead feel around in the watery sludge for food using their finger-like paws.
When they catch something, they first wash it before chowing down.

June 28, 2013

An elderly South American Coati unexpectedly gave birth to two healthy pups at Zoo Budapest. In the wild, Coatis rarely live longer than seven to eight years, but they have been known to live up to 17 years in captivity. The mother of these two pups, Juliet, is 15 years old. The Zoo's press release notes that "it is almost a matter of biological peculiarity" that she has successfully given birth to two healthy pups at her advanced age. At four years old, the pups' sire has only been sexually mature for about half a year, making the parents quite the unlikely pair!

Zoo staff were concerned that the elderly mother would not be able to raise both pups on her own, so one pup is staying with mom while the other is being hand-raised by human caregivers. As an adult, the hand-raised pup will be used for educational programs at the zoo. The pups are now about three weeks old.

The San Antonio Zoo welcomed a very special arrival to their aquarium: a two-headed (bicephalic) Texas River Cooter named Thelma and Louise! Thelma and Louise were part of a quartet of Texas Cooters hatched at the zoo on June 18 that made their public debut on June 25.

Craig Pelke, Curator of Reptiles, Amphibians, and Aquatics, notes that while this is uncommon, it is not unheard of in both the wild and captive populations. Bicephalic animals are actually twins that did not separate, resulting in two or more heads on one animal. Bicephaly occurs most commonly with snakes and turtles, without any accompanying health issues. Pelke said, “At this time, Thelma and Louise are doing well on exhibit and eating with both heads!”

Photo Credit: San Antonio Zoo

The San Antonio Zoo is no stranger to two-headed reptiles. A two-headed Texas rat snake named Janus lived there from 1978 until it passed away in 1995. Visitors can see the Cooter hatchlings in the Friedrich Aquarium located inside the zoo.

June 27, 2013

The Birmingham Zoo in Alabama is now home to the first Red Panda cubs born in the US this year. Born May 30, the two cubs currently are off-exhibit with mom. This is the first litter for the mother, three-year-old Sorrel and father, four-year-old Shifu. This was a significant birth as Red Pandas are a threatened species with fewer than 2,500 adults left in the world, according to The Birmingham Zoo.

Sorrel is very protective of the cubs and is nursing regularly. This is very encouraging and staff are working hard to ensure that Sorrel has everything she needs to care for her new family. When born in human care, Red Panda cubs have a 50 percent mortality rate (the mortality rate in the wild is unknown), so it is wonderful news that the first-time mom is caring for her cubs so well.

Photo Credit: Birmingham Zoo

Red Pandas are quite delicate at birth and stay close to
their mothers until they are around three months old. As long as things continue
to go well, visitors can expect to see the cubs in the fall when they start to
venture away from the den. For now, there is a live monitor of the pandas at
the zoo's Red Panda exhibit.

The breeding that led to this birth is part of the American
Zoological Association’s Species Survival Plan, a nationally-coordinated effort
to save threatened and endangered animals from extinction. In the wild, Red
Pandas live in the bamboo forests of China, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.
While they share some habitat with the Giant Panda, the two species are not
related. Red Pandas are listed by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) as Vulnerable, a ranking one step down from Endangered. According
to the IUCN, deforestation is the greatest threat to this species.

The onset of summer for the Animal Care staff at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., means patiently awaiting endangered-animal births, hand raising youngsters, and saying farewell to cubs that are ready to be matched with mates. All of the species—which range in International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List status from near threatened to endangered—are significant and represent great conservation successes.

One of the new births of these important animals were two male Maned Wolf pups, born on April 14 to 2-year-old female Vitani and 8-year-old male, Paul. The pups received a clean bill of health at their first veterinary exam, appearing robust and healthy. Keepers have nicknamed the pups “Bold” and “Shy” for their distinctive personalities.

Only 85 Maned Wolves are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, and these pups account for 40 percent of successful Maned Wolf births in the United States this year. A leader in Maned Wolf conservation, SCBI has had 74 pups born there since 1975—more than any other institution.

June 26, 2013

Zoo Berlin welcomed a baby Giant Anteater on May 26. The baby, named Evita by her keepers, is a female. The name was chosen because "E" is the fifth letter in the alphabet, and this is mom Griseline's fifth surviving baby. Before Evita there were Adolpho, Benita, Carlos, and Danita, all born at Berlin Zoo. Evita is being hand-fed by keepers and receives three additional bottle meals per day.

Evita was just 1,570 grams, or 3.5 pounds, when she was born, but has now increased her weight to 2.5 kg, or 5.5 pounds. She's strong enough to ride on her mother's back — a behavior that is common in Giant Anteaters. Keepers, however, must keep a close eye on Evita since her coloration makes it difficult to distinguish her from her mother's fur.

Giant Anteaters are insectivores native to South America. As the name implies, their diets consist of ants as well as other small insects. They use their strong claws to tear open termite mounds and anthills. Since Giant Anteaters have no teeth, their two-foot-long tongues and sticky saliva help them to extract the insects.

The Tulsa Zoo welcomed little Niko, an endangered Snow Leopard cub, born on May 10to mother Sherab and father, Rajan. Niko is being hand-reared behind-the-scenes. At 7 weeks of age, he is thriving, and currently weighs more than 6 lbs (2.72kg). Mother Sherab is doing well and is back on exhibit.

Niko’s birth was in conjunction with the Snow Leopard SSP®, or the Species Survival Plan, which manages species in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited zoos across the nation. Ranging in mountainous areas of Central Asia from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, and Russia to northern India and China, there are only 4,000-6,500 Snow Leopards left in the wild due to poaching and habitat loss.

Photo Credit: Dr. Jen Kilburn

While Niko is doing well, his two siblings did not survive the turbulent first weeks. One cub died during the birthing process and the other died just 9 days later due to bacterial sepsis in its blood. Sherab, an experienced mom, provided excellent care for the cubs in the first 24 hours. However, it soon became apparent that due to complications from the birth, Sherab would need to be moved to the zoo’s veterinary hospital and allow the Tulsa Zoo’s expert staff to hand-raise the Endangered cubs.